The head warden of SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha told the coroner’s court in Kota Kinabalu today that Zara Qairina Mahathir never lodged any complaint about issues she may have faced while living in the school hostel.
Azhari Abd Sagap, 31, who was also Zara’s Arabic teacher, told coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan that Zara was staying in the Qurratu Ayun hostel on the third floor of the Rabiatul Adawiyah block with 11 other students, and that the hostel was under his direct supervision.
“As her Arabic teacher and as the head warden, I never received any complaints from Zara regarding any problems she faced in the hostel,” Bernama reported him as saying in his deposition.
Recounting the events of July 16, Azhari said he received a distress call at 3.04am from the school’s security guard, Linah Mansoding @ Jaliha, 65, informing him of an incident involving Zara.
“Upon arriving at the hostel building, I saw Zara lying unconscious in a drain. She appeared to be breathing and making a snoring-like sound.
“At that moment, five students and Linah were with me. I instructed them to move Zara to a flat and sheltered area, onto a cement surface,” he said.
Azhari said while Zara was being moved, he noticed bloodstains on the edge of the drain and injuries on her ankle, prompting him to immediately call the 991 emergency number at 3.17am to request medical assistance.
After contacting the assistant principal for student affairs, he proceeded to the home of principal Shaharoom Hashim, who lived nearby, to inform her of the incident.
Azhari said he also tried to contact Zara’s parents but was unable to reach them.
“I called 991 a second time at 3.47am. An ambulance arrived a little before 4am and rushed Zara to the hospital,” he said, adding that he also lodged a report at the Kota Kinabalu police headquarters.
Zara died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17 and was buried at the Tanjung Ubi Muslim cemetery in Sipitang the same day.
On Aug 8, the Attorney-General’s Chambers ordered for her remains to be exhumed for a post-mortem, before announcing an inquest into her death on Aug 13.
